Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time
Updated: 12/11/2025, 6:20:45 PM Wikipedia source
"The 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time" is a music editorial and ranking of the finest rappers in history, published by the American magazines Billboard and Vibe in February 2023. The ranking was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip hop music's inception and was compiled by the magazines' respective editorial boards. To determine the rankings, the boards created a list of criteria based on a rapper's artistry, achievements, and cultural influence. It received criticism due to its exclusion of rappers who are not based in North America, as well as the omission of dancehall and reggaeton artists. Billboard and Vibe presented the first set of rappers on January 11, 2023, and ten more rappers were announced over the course of three weeks. The top rankings were unveiled on February 8, 2023, which crowned Jay-Z the greatest rapper of all time and Nicki Minaj the greatest female rapper of all time. It sparked multiple debates within the hip hop industry, many of whom criticized the publications and artists featured in the premier positions.
Tables
| Rank | Name | Lifetime |
| 1 | Jay-Z | December 4, 1969 – present |
| 2 | Kendrick Lamar | June 17, 1987 – present |
| 3 | Nas | September 14, 1973 – present |
| 4 | Tupac Shakur | June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996 |
| 5 | Eminem | October 17, 1972 – present |
| 6 | The Notorious B.I.G. | May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997 |
| 7 | Lil Wayne | September 27, 1982 – present |
| 8 | Drake | October 24, 1986 – present |
| 9 | Snoop Dogg | October 20, 1971 – present |
| 10 | Nicki Minaj | December 8, 1982 – present |
| Rank | Name | Lifetime |
| 1 | The Notorious B.I.G. | May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997 |
| 2 | Jay-Z | December 4, 1969 – present |
| 3 | Eminem | October 17, 1972 – present |
| 4 | Rakim | January 28, 1968 – present |
| 5 | Nas | September 14, 1973 – present |
| 6 | André 3000 | May 27, 1975 – present |
| 7 | Lauryn Hill | May 26, 1975 – present |
| 8 | Ghostface Killah | May 9, 1970 – present |
| 9 | Kendrick Lamar | June 17, 1987 – present |
| 10 | Lil Wayne | September 27, 1982 – present |
References
- Billboardhttps://web.archive.org/web/20160319024731/http://www.billboard.com/photos/6723017/the-10-best-rappers-of-all-time/1
- Billboardhttps://www.billboard.com/lists/best-rappers-all-time/
- We Got This Coveredhttps://wegotthiscovered.com/celebrities/everything-wrong-with-the-billboard-vibe-greatest-rappers-list/
- HipHopDXhttps://hiphopdx.com/news/ice-cube-top-50-greatest-rappers-billboard-reaction
- Complexhttps://www.complex.com/music/a/brad-callas/ja-rule-calls-out-billboard-50-greatest-rappers-all-time-list
- HipHopDXhttps://hiphopdx.com/news/kendrick-lamar-drake-top-10-rappers-charlamagne-tha-god
- Billboardhttps://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/missy-elliott-talks-billboard-greatest-rappers-all-time-list-reaction-1235252841/
- Rolling Stonehttps://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/kendrick-lamar-beyonce-america-has-a-problem-remix-1234739064/
- XXL Maghttps://www.xxlmag.com/lil-wayne-billboard-vibe-greatest-rapper-list/
- HipHopDXhttps://hiphopdx.com/news/melle-mel-kendrick-lamar-eminem
- Okayplayerhttps://www.okayplayer.com/music/rappers-are-divided-over-recent-melle-mel-comments.html
- HipHopDXhttps://hiphopdx.com/news/lil-wayne-best-rapper-ever-auto-tune-melle-mel
- Complexhttps://www.complex.com/music/a/mack/kevin-gates-kevin-gates-50-cent-defend-eminem-after-melle-mel-criticism
- HipHopDXhttps://hiphopdx.com/news/chuck-d-defends-melle-mel-eminem-kendrick-lamar-comments
- Okayplayerhttps://www.okayplayer.com/music/melle-mel-responds-to-backlash-about-comments-towards-eminem-kendrick-lamar-lil-wayne.html
- HipHopDXhttps://hiphopdx.com/news/melle-mel-eminem-white-rapper-not-racist-response
- Complexhttps://www.complex.com/music/a/brad-callas/eminem-claps-back-melle-mel-ez-mil-realest
- The FADERhttps://www.thefader.com/2023/08/04/eminem-disses-the-game-melle-mel-and-gen-z-on-ez-mils-realest
- DJBoothhttps://djbooth.net/features/2015-11-16-billboard-greatest-rappers
- HipHopDXhttps://hiphopdx.com/editorials/id.3111/title.top-10-staff-reactions-to-billboards-10-best-rappers-of-all-time-list
- XXLhttps://www.xxlmag.com/the-game-responds-to-billboards-10-greatest-rappers-of-all-time-with-his-own-list/
- AllHipHophttps://allhiphop.com/news/snoop-dogg-blasts-billboards-10-greatest-rappers-of-all-time-list/
- Hypebeasthttps://hypebeast.com/2015/11/tyga-thinks-billboards-greatest-rapper-is-dated
- VIBE.comhttps://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/snoop-dogg-ghostface-killah-greatest-rappers-list-387665/